


Common Ground

by Helianthus_Sorceress



Category: Yandere Simulator (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Awkward Romance, Bullying, Delinquents, Depression, Developing Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Let Umeji Say Fuck, Minor Character(s), Misunderstandings, POV Minor Character, Secret Relationship, Slice of Life, Strangers to Lovers, Suicidal Thoughts, The Delinquents Curse A Lot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23907436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Helianthus_Sorceress/pseuds/Helianthus_Sorceress
Summary: In which Umeji Kizuguchi sees a part of his old self in Horuda Puresu and tries to encourage her in his own emotionally constipated ways.
Relationships: Umeji Kizuguchi/Horuda Puresu
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	1. rough warning

Horuda had always been a disappointment.

For as long as she could remember, she'd never been able to make her parents smile. Every time they so much as glanced her way, the stress lines in their features would stiffen, molding together to form rigid wrinkles and sharp edges. Frowns were a frequent gesture that crossed their faces, often caused by their turbulent office jobs. 

The worst part was that they were quiet about it. They were never impressed with her, but they would never voice their opinions out loud either. Instead, there was always a wall of distance in between. 

Their constant silence screamed louder than anything they could've ever said to her. She didn't mind the solitude, but sometimes it left a sour taste in her mouth. 

So Horuda's life, up until high school, was a rather stagnant and uneventful story. All of her attempts at befriending peers throughout her childhood had either been short-lived or died through anticlimatic means, like with distance or a lack of shared interests. If someone were to take a peek of Horuda's day-to-day routines and examine them like a show, they'd leave from the sheer boredom of it all. 

Every morning, at the crack of dawn, Horuda would rise and eat, in hopes of leaving the quiet emptiness that she often awoke to. Her parents were workaholics, they didn't know when to take a day off and the most she'd exchange with them were a few words or an awkward silence if she ever did see them around. 

Recently, she made it a habit to visit school an hour before classes even began. 

By the time she had entered the grounds of Akademi High, it would always be 7:10 AM sharp. Every morning, she frequented the rooftop before plopping down on a bench and cracking open a book. 

She thought nothing would change with her lonesome ways. Though she wasn’t all that content with how things were, she was fine with everything staying the same. 

One day, however, something did change. 

_Musume Ronshaku happened._

Maybe it was because even though nobody knew Horuda, they still did at the same time. Right off the bat, they could tell that she was timid, that she wouldn’t fight back because it wasn’t in her nature to. She was passive, obedient, a total doormat if she was stomped on. If a strong wind pushed her, she’d simply get blown back and carried away by the breeze. 

At first, Horuda thought she had imagined the noises. Every now and again, whenever she walked the corridors of Akademi High, she could hear them. 

_The whispers._

They were hushed snippets from a distance, all occurring in unison. 

But it wasn’t just that.

_Then there were the eyes._

The heat of their stares would linger on her, stalking her every move. Even though she didn’t know why at the time, Horuda was already becoming self-conscious because of it. 

She tried to ignore the signs, but she couldn’t once she found them glaring right back at her on her desk one day in black marker. 

Hideous.

Stupid.

Useless.

No one needs you.

_Go kill yourself._

The words screamed at Horuda with so much spite, with so much raw hatred, that it made her nauseous. Everything around her blurred as tears swelled up in her eyes. 

She didn’t know what else to do other than to ignore this too, but to no avail. Their words kept coming back at her, no matter how many times she scrubbed her desk clean. 

At one point, Musume and her clique even managed to smack Horuda’s head upside down with chalk erasers, leaving for her to cough on the remnants of the white dust, her lungs burning in the process. The cacophony of their giggles rang sharp in her ears, resonating within the chambers of her mind with a distant echo. 

One day, they even discovered her usual spot on the rooftop during the early hours of the morning, tearing apart the place that once served as her safe space. Their snide remarks jabbed at Horuda during any given moment, prodding at the shattered remains of whatever was left of her self-esteem. 

No matter where Horuda went, they were always on her tail, always lurking beneath the shadows with mocking grins and haunting laughter. 

With every day that dragged on, Horuda was gradually breaking apart, questioning her existence as her sense of self began to crumble. Eventually, depression also crept in, hitting her with full force. 

It prompted her to get out of the house one day, deep into the evening and even deeper in the town, where a bridge above water stretched out beyond the outskirts of a local park. 

It had been built over a river bank, the currents swaying with a steady pattern and glimmering underneath the moonlight. 

And though she didn’t think she had the courage to actually do anything, Horuda still stood near the edge of the bridge, wavering between life and death with a blank look in her eyes. 

She didn’t know how long she was there, frozen in time while a numb sensation overtook her limbs. Sleep hadn’t been easy for her, only coming in and out through irregular hours. All she wanted to do was imagine being put out of her misery for good, though she still clung onto a shred of cowardice to this day for not being able to go through with that wish. 

She didn’t see a point in living anymore, but she didn’t know if she was ready to stop either. 

Just when she was starting to lose feel in her arms, she suddenly felt a hand yanking her by the wrist. 

The reality of her situation washed over her like a cold tidal wave, jolting her back to the present. She felt herself being pulled away from the internal storm, felt herself being drawn forward, face-to-face by a guy that towered over her. 

His blond hair was slicked back in some places while ruffled in others and a long scar ran down one eye. A glower darkened his face, his teeth bared in a disapproving scowl, as he quickly withdrew his hold on her. 

_It was Umeji Kizuguchi, one of Akademi’s most feared delinquents._

Immediately, panic rooted Horuda in place as he stared down at her with a steel gaze. Fire burned in his amber irises, flashing bright with enough intensity to swallow her whole. 

_This is the night I die_ , was the first thought that occurred to her. 

Horuda wanted to run, but her feet were still planted to the ground, refusing to cooperate. 

“I’ve seen you around,” Umeji blurted just then, before she could open her mouth to plead for her life. “You’re the emo chick that Musume girl likes to bitch about.” 

Horuda could only blink in response. She didn’t really know what to say to that. 

“I may not fucking know you, but I do know that it’s too damn early for you to be giving up like that.” 

Still, she was speechless, a whirlwind of error signs overloading her brain. 

And then, without anything else to say, Umeji decided to end the conversation at that before making an abrupt leave. 

With his back turned to her, he simply shoved his hands in his pockets and left, leaving a dumbfounded Horuda to stand there and reflect over what just happened. 

After a while, she took a moment to be grateful that nothing really happened. She shook off the encounter while walking back to her house and tried to dismiss it as a one-time thing. 

Horuda didn’t think too much of it, she didn’t _want_ to think too much about getting involved with someone like Umeji Kizuguchi, and she just hoped to survive another tomorrow. 

That was all she could ever ask for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever find myself writing for a rare pair in a fandom that I‘m not all that active in, but here I am.


	2. rough start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Umeji and the rest of the delinquents try to get back at Musume by taking her victim away.

Horuda didn’t think Umeji would approach her again, but when he did, she almost choked on the rice ball she‘d been nibbling on at her desk. 

Usually she would be eating in the cafeteria or rooftop by now, not homeroom, but Musume and her girl gang have been prowling around in those areas lately. It was too cloudy for them to do their usual sunbathing today. Better safe than sorry. 

The fact that Umeji even knew where Horuda’s classroom was located made her eyes bug out of her sockets in complete and utter disbelief. 

“You’re coming with me,” was all he said to her, in that gruff and jaded voice of his. 

Horuda genuinely thought she was being threatened, so she didn’t think she had much of a choice but to just do whatever he wanted, so long as she was still physically and emotionally intact by the end of the day. 

While following after him, she saw the rest of the delinquents at their signature spot near the incinerator. Most of them were splayed out on the grass, with magazines and food sprawled out across their laps.

Horuda’s fingers shook around the bento box in between her hands, almost dropping it right then and there. She was a trembling mass of frazzled nerves and they were all staring at her, showcasing mild glares mixed in with some confusion. 

_Why her of all people?_

“Guys,” Umeji announced, stealing all of their attention in that moment. ”If there’s anything that pisses off Musume and her bitch gang, it’s taking away the one thing that’s always made them feel like hot shit.” 

“And what the hell would that be?” one of them asked, an eyebrow arched. 

“Her.” As soon as he said that, Umeji jerked a thumb in Horuda’s direction. “Her personal punching bag.” 

Horuda practically flinched at those words, but still tried to keep quiet. She didn’t know what would happen if she spoke now, but she wasn’t planning on finding out. 

(And technically, Umeji wasn’t wrong, even if his wording was a bit crude.)

“What’dya have in mind?” the one with a scar across his forehead asked. If she remembered correctly, his name was Gaku. She only knew that because she accidentally bumped into him once, during the first week of school, and he snapped back harshly. “What can we do with someone like her?” 

Gaku spat out that last question with a hint of disgust, like he didn’t think she should be here. 

She couldn’t have agreed more. In all honesty, she just wanted to go home already—

“We’re taking her away from Musume,” Umeji explained. “All we have to do after that is watch a potential shit show go down. Let’s see if she really has it in her to come at us.” 

“Fuck it.” The one with a scar across the corner of his mouth shrugged. “We know she’s all talk and no bite anyway.” 

The rest of the delinquents chimed in with similar remarks, all coming to a consensus together. Apparently none of them liked Musume and bore some sort of grudge against her, not that Horuda was surprised. 

They didn’t exactly hide their distaste for her and her clique. 

Horuda didn’t know why they didn’t like her, she just knew that they didn’t. Maybe Musume did something to offend them at one point, she wouldn’t know. She figured they didn’t really like anyone outside of their inner circle anyway. 

“Oi, you!” Gaku called out, startling Horuda with a bite to his words. “You’re in our turf now, got it?” 

Umeji crossed his arms, a frown etched in his lips. “You need to start being here from now on.”

“If you don’t show . . .” The one with the scars on his left cheek cracked his knuckles. “We know where to find you.” 

And so, that was how a new chapter in Horuda’s school life came to be.

~*~*~

It had only been a few days, but she already knew all of them by name now. 

Horuda didn’t know whether that was a good or bad thing. 

She _slightly_ leaned more toward good, because while she never spoke around them and they were still intimidating to be around, this might he the longest she’d gone without getting picked on by Musume and her clique. 

In the meanwhile, none of the delinquents ever spared her a word. They tolerated her at best, left her to read her books in silence. 

For the most part, they’d just glance in her way whenever she showed up, with this bored look on their faces, before continuing to converse with each other. 

None of the delinquents even bothered with her except for Umeji, but that was to be expected. 

While Osoro was still away, he was in charge. So it was no surprise that he was responsible for reminding Horuda to be there near the incinerator during lunchtime. He was the one to text her when he was coming by her classroom. He was the one who came up with this whole idea in the first place. 

He was the glue to their pack, the one to keep them all together. 

When Musume first noticed Umeji and the others deliberately hanging around Horuda to spite her, she was stunned into silence. She tried to say something, do something, do _anything_ to corner Horuda alone, but they were always there, always staring back at her with daunting glares and fierce scowls. 

The amount of times that her face would glow red in frustration was enough to have all the delinquents cracking smug smirks. 

She finally gave up after a week of trying. 

Her eyes still followed Horuda wherever she went, but so long as the delinquents were lingering around her, she couldn’t do jack shit. 

Though Horuda’s bullying predicament had been turned around with a rather unexpected twist, she knew that this serene feeling wouldn’t last for long. 

They’d have to get tired of her eventually, after a few more weeks float by. 

It was only a matter of time. 

So one day, while trying to sleep in on a dull Sunday morning, Horuda was groggily interrupted from a peaceful slumber when she heard her phone ringing with a call. 

How strange. She didn’t expect to hear from anyone at this time. It wasn’t like she had friends or anyone else to hang out with like that anyway. Since she was still half-asleep, she figured that it was a wrong number and declined the caller. 

Just when she was about to crawl back into the warm comforts of her bed, the phone started ringing again, vibrating with noise. It almost seemed angry. 

With a sharp exhale, Horuda was about to decline it again, only to almost choke on her own spit when she saw the caller ID. 

_Umeji Kizuguchi._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, Horuda descends into anxiety once more.


	3. rough move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Umeji drags Horuda along to eat at some random place for no apparent reason.

As full-blown panic spiked through her, Horuda fumbled around with the phone in her hands before quickly answering the call. 

_Oh no._

She hadn’t been prepared to do that, she was supposed to decline, but her thumb slipped— 

“You awake?” Umeji’s voice growled at the end of the receiver. There was an impatient huff echoing near the end, like he was expecting her somewhere. However, Horuda’s mind screamed blank, she didn’t recall making any previous plans. “Where you at?” 

It took a moment for her to realize that he was asking her a question. 

“Um,” she blurted out, with all the eloquence (or lack thereof) she could gather in that moment. After a shaky inhale, she then added, “I’m home?” 

“Not anymore.” There was no room for a reply with that sort of tone. “Meet me at the bridge in town. You better be there in half an hour.” 

Horuda had so many questions though. Before she could open her mouth, however, Umeji had already hung up.

~*~*~

Horuda hurried over to their meeting spot at the bridge as soon as she could. In her haste, she’d just thrown on a casual summer dress, oblivious to the motions of a changing season until she had stepped outside. 

So the breeze that flew past her, while swishing back her black hair in a literal whiplash of autumn leaves, was a chilling surprise. The amount of sweat she must have accumulated while racing against the clock was the most exercise she’d ever gotten while on a day off. 

“It’s about time.” There Umeji was, his arms tossed back behind one side of the bridge’s railing. It was a strange sight, seeing him clad in a rugged leather jacket and ripped jeans. The black shirt that he wore was different, featuring a golden skull right in the center. “You’re slow.” 

Out of mortification, heat rushed up to Horuda’s cheeks. “I-I didn’t think—“

“Whatever, you’re still here at least.” And just like that, the topic of her minor tardiness was cast aside. “Let’s bounce.”

~*~*~

They were at a cafe that specialized in baking pastries. 

Horuda had passed by here before a few times, but never had she been inside. 

Syrupy and sugary aromas wafted in their direction as soon as they had entered. Sunny smiles were displayed by their server, followed by an introduction to a wooden booth near the window side. While settling down, Horuda played around with the cotton fabric of her dress, scrunching it in between her fingertips. 

A heavy silence loomed, weighing down the air between them. She could feel the heat of Umeji’s eyes lingering, pressing down on her with this sharp jab.

But still, she tried to speak anyway, her feeble words picking at the tension. 

“Uh,” she gulped before trying, “why are we here?”

“Because I like eating here.” 

It was such a simple and straightforward response, yet somehow that still didn’t answer Horuda’s question. 

“That’s nice, but, um— why am _I_ here?” 

“You’ll like eating here too.” 

Umeji didn’t say more after that, which only left Horuda even more puzzled than before. The confusion wasn’t a good feeling, but now she didn’t know if it was a bad one either.

It almost felt like they were friends by doing this together, but that couldn’t be right. It didn’t make sense why Umeji would want to befriend her when he already had a whole crew of them, all of whom shared the same crude interests as him. 

No one had wanted to actively interact with Horuda before. She usually didn’t let them. Or even if she did, they’d often grow weary of her dull demeanor after a bit. 

She didn’t understand Umeji’s intentions. Perhaps he was also playing around, but she quickly dismissed that idea. He didn’t seem like the type of person to do that or waste his time on something he thought to be a bother. 

Then again, what did she really know about him? 

All Horuda knew was that if she didn’t do what he said, then he might grow angry. And the last thing she wanted to encounter was his wrath. 

But even so, it was still _so very_ awkward.

When their orders had been inputted after scanning the menus, Umeji continued to stare down at Horuda like there was nothing else for his gaze to wander from. There was something about the way his eyes were latched onto her that was almost unsettling. 

“I-is there something on my face?” she asked, feeling as if she were on fire. 

That seemed to take him off guard. 

For a moment, his eyes were blown wide, and then a frown soured his expression. 

“No.” 

He still kept staring, even after that, but this time Horuda didn’t continue to prod at the subject. 

Because now she was really unsettled.

Throughout the remainder of their silence, Horuda just chewed on her lower lip while fidgeting with her fingers. Meanwhile, Umeji didn’t budge and continued to just _stare_ into the depths of her soul.

And then, after what felt like an eternity of discomfort, their food arrived. 

_Finally_ , Horuda thought, with a sigh of relief. If she had to be scrutinized underneath Umeji’s field of vision any longer, she might just implode. 

Umeji received a hamburger steak while Horuda got the same because she’d been indecisive. All went well during these moments of fine dining. She didn’t often eat out, so it was actually pleasant to have this experience. 

Maybe it wasn’t all bad, especially when Umeji was actually polite enough to have already paid their bill in advance. Out of all the words she could’ve used to describe him, never did she think that ‘polite’ would be in the description, but here they were. 

And then dessert came. 

While Horuda had received a modest matcha green tea parfait with spliced blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries, Umeji was ready to embrace diabetes. 

His parfait was a massive swirl of vanilla and chocolate ice cream with kiwis, bananas, strawberries, chunks of waffle, almonds, pocky sticks, and a disastrous heap of whip cream with multiple cherries on the top. 

Horuda’s face paled as she stared at the sugary monster sitting in front of Umeji. Before she could softly question if his sanity was intact, however, he was already on it, ready to tackle his dessert head on with not one, but _two spoons_. 

Watching him conquer such an untamed beast had to be one of the most amusing things Horuda had ever witnessed in her life. 

Soft snorts would interrupt her in between cold bites, catching Umeji’s attention every now and again. 

However, he never told her off for it and would resume his frenzied binge eating. After all, he had a goal to reach. 

And she was in complete and utter disbelief by the time he was actually done. She didn’t think a finish line was possible, but Umeji had managed to overcome such a feat — all by himself nonetheless. 

Being impressed was an understatement. 

If only she had his immunity for brain freezes, she’d gladly trade her sensitive teeth for whatever superpower he possessed. 

Horuda told Umeji so once they’d parted from the cafe, a sliver of amusement flickering in that coy smile of hers. 

Just then, she was struck with a wave of regret for being so casual around him. It probably wasn’t in her place to act like this. 

Before she could internally scream over her slip up, however, Umeji suddenly tossed his head back in a hearty laugh. His shoulders quaked from the force of his guffaw, a hand now clutched over his stomach to hold himself together. 

And Horuda couldn’t help but gawk, her unhinged jaw almost collapsing from her face. 

Oh. 

_Oh._

That was—

“Damn,” Umeji exhaled, a playful grin splitting apart his rosy cheeks. ”Dunno why that was so funny. Guess it was the way that you said it, I just didn’t expect anything like that outta you.” 

“Sorry,” Horuda croaked out, her throat dry and her lips even drier. “I-I didn’t—“

“Don’t take it back.” The warmth of his baritone voice held a smoky quality to it, almost leveling down to a whisper. “It’s fun screwin’ around, ain’t it?” 

Horuda didn’t know how to answer that. 

But perhaps she didn’t necessarily disagree with him either.

~*~*~

For the first time in months, Horuda slept just right that night. No traces of insomnia came creeping in on her this time. 

Instead, the remainder of her thoughts traveled back in time to the sound of Umeji’s laughter, to relive that pleasant ringing in her ears, before drifting into slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By now, I’m sure that this might be out of character, especially since Umeji’s actual dialogue from the game doesn’t consist of as many curses as it does here in the story. 
> 
> But well, I guess it can’t be helped. 
> 
> When my mind thinks of delinquents, foul language is usually associated with that term.


	4. rough surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a huge misunderstanding between Umeji and Horuda ensues. Chaos is revealed.

They started meeting every Sunday after that. 

Despite the fact that the rest of the delinquent gang couldn’t give a rat’s ass about Horuda if they tried, and they ignored her with heavy indifference whenever she made her arrival near the incinerator, Umeji was still persistent about their weekly routines. He didn’t show any indication of feeling that way whenever he was around his buddies, but whenever they met outside of school, he was adamant about their plans. To this day, Horuda couldn’t bring herself to decline anything Umeji had in mind. He never ran out of reasons to not go out, even if it was just to amble around their local park all day long. 

(Because they did that once. It was actually pretty nice, as were most of their experiences nowadays.)

Although Horuda didn’t expect their first Sunday encounter to bear that much significance, she was beginning to reconsider the thought whenever Umeji would call her every Sunday morning after that without fail. 

Sometimes they’d frequent the cinema, the arcade, an amusement park, or the same cafe that served the infamous monster parfait that Umeji still had no trouble scarfing down. 

Other times, they’d station themselves on a bench outside or at a booth somewhere in a casual diner. Words might be exchanged during these moments, but they weren’t needed, especially since the silence between them had grown to be more comfortable through time and repetition. 

Umeji still stared at her a lot, but Horuda was even adapting well enough to that. She figured that he was just real bold when it came to making eye contact, especially in one-on-one interactions.

On occasion, Horuda also wondered if his body was just wired to wake up before the sun could. Some of the texts he’d send her were dated back to times like 4 AM, 5 AM, maybe even 6 AM at the latest. 

His messages were often composed of choppy and concise sentences too, like _its cold 2day_ or _meet me @ 8_. 

Umeji wasn’t a guy of many words, but Horuda liked to think that she was getting better at grasping his personality, even with the crude traits and all. 

For example, he wasn’t as rough around the edges as he appeared to be, especially when it was just the two of them together. 

A lot of his behaviors were, er, questionable, to say the least, but Horuda chalked that all up to him being nicer than she had originally thought. One time, and this was a while back, he even offered her some chocolates wrapped up in a squared box as an arbitrary gesture of platonic kindness(?). 

(Since, at this point, they were probably close enough to be considered friends. Friendly acquaintances? Something like that. They’d never discussed the full lengths of what they were before, but Horuda could at least assume this much.)

They turned out to be homemade.

(That might explain the bandages around Umeji’s fingers back then.)

And they were salty.

 _Very_ salty. 

But Horuda tried to conceal that truth and eat them anyway, because even when she wasn’t being harassed by Musume anymore, she was still a total doormat. 

It shocked her that he even had an interest in baking to begin with. But so long as he was trying, perhaps that was all that mattered. 

(It wasn’t until Umeji decided to try one with her that he spat it out before chucking the rest into the nearest trash can. He then proceeded to get on her ass about being too pussy with her opinions. 

As embarrassed as he was for having mixed up the sugar with salt, he was even more worked up over having to discover that mistake himself. 

“If it’s crap, then it’s crap,” he had firmly told her. “Like it’s hard to sugarcoat a piece of crap and then try to tell people that it’s candy. No matter how much you might try, by the end of the day, it’s still a piece of crap. And y’know what?” He shrugged, a steady serenity overtaking him. “That’s alright too, yeah?”

Horuda vowed to be a bit more honest after that, even if it was still nerve-wracking to do so. However, she knew that Umeji would appreciate a raw truth more than a sugary shit, as he would say.) 

In conclusion, things were fine. More than fine, actually. Even if they weren’t friends to him, Horuda would still like to think they were. She might never admit it aloud, for fear of ruining what they have, but the thought uplifted her in ways she’d never felt before. 

Even now, Umeji still had asked her if she was okay with all of this. 

Another Sunday morning had approached and they were currently at his apartment, a place that Horuda had only frequented a few times before. Even though she’d only been over on rare occasions, she knew that Umeji’s parents were almost never home. 

His family seemed like a sore subject and she didn’t question it too much. She didn’t know if they’d ever have a conversation about that and she was okay with it, so long as he continued to feel comfortable around her. They’d never spoken of sensitive subjects before, so it was safe to assume that they’d never get to discuss that aspect of Umeji’s life either. 

On a lighter note, ever since he had accidentally made her the salty batch of chocolates, Umeji strove to not repeat any more amateur mistakes, so they were practicing how to make (better) homemade chocolates at the moment. 

(They were also making beef stew for dinner if they had enough time.) 

“Hey,” Umeji called out, seconds after they had frozen their first trial of chocolates. There was a jaded edge to his tone, but he didn’t seem angry. “Are you okay with how things are?” 

Like with most of his random and out-oh-the-blue queries, Horuda didn’t know how to answer that. However, she knew that supplying Umeji with something was better than nothing. 

“Yes?” With her eyes quickly darting in his direction, Horuda turned to face him. It was a challenge to maintain eye contact, especially when his stares were often so intense anyway, so she tried to focus on his nose instead. “I-I’m fine. With this. All of it.” 

She hoped he was either referring to the activity that they were partaking in at the moment or their potential(?) friendship. Nothing else came to mind with whatever he was trying to address. 

“Cool.” 

And then, just when she thought that was the end of that conversation, Umeji suddenly seized her by the shoulders and narrowed the distance between them. 

_Oh._

His lips were on hers, rough and chapped. 

As his mouth shifted and his hand tilted her chin up, deepening the contact between them, Horuda just stood there, taking it all in like a dead fish. Her shoulders went slack, her arms rendered frozen, her legs trembling from the force of her own shock. She felt her breath get stolen, felt her entire face erupt with a heavy flush. The world around her swayed, swirling round and round like a carousel. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Umeji pulled back, a string of saliva stretching out between them. 

“That felt weird,” he commented. His tone was casual and light-hearted, devoid of any cruelty. Then, he shrugged, like he hadn’t just broken Horuda. “We’ll get better at it with practice.”

And then, he returned back to what he was doing: preparing to chop up some carrots for the beef stew they were having tonight.

As much as she was a pushover, and as much as she didn’t like initiating things, Horuda knew, right then and there, that a conversation was absolutely required. 

Because Umeji Kizuguchi had just kissed her, like it was nothing, and she _needed_ answers. 

“Uh,” she blurted out, suddenly and with no plan behind her words, “what was that?”

“What was what?” He spared an inquisitive glance in her way, his hands still occupied with setting a cutting board up. “You mean earlier? It was a kiss.”

Okay, so he knew what he was doing after all. 

_She had so many questions._

“But, um, why?” Horuda was so boggled, so bewildered, that she didn’t even hear half of the words tumbling out from her right now. “How— what? I don’t— I don’t understand?” 

Umeji arched a brow up. “You alright?”

“No, I don’t— I don’t know.” A broken gasp was dragged out from her, her eyes blown wide in disbelief. Her chest was starting to ache and she didn’t even know why. “Was it just a joke?” 

“What?” Umeji blinked, his full attention drawn to her now. “No?” Then, realization dawned on him. “Damn, was the kiss that bad? I mean, I thought it was okay. Awkward, but not bad—“

“ _Why did you kiss me_?” 

An awkward moment of silence transpired, with Umeji staring at Horuda like she’d just confessed that she was an alien. 

“‘Cause we’ve been dating for the past several weeks now?” He frowned, his confusion morphing into agitation. “I wouldn’t have kissed you if we weren’t.” 

Oh. 

_Oh._

And in that moment, Horuda knew that they needed to have a long and overdue talk.

Dinner would have to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, Umeji is an oblivious fuck when it comes to romance.


	5. rough realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Umeji tries to explain why he thought that he and Horuda are dating. Even more awkwardness occurs, if that’s even possible at this rate.

“The hell do you mean you didn’t know we were together?” Umeji demanded, his fists hammering against the dining table. The force of his surprise disturbed the wooden surface like an earthquake, almost triggering a startled yelp from Horuda. “How the fuck wasn’t it obvious?” 

“I-it’s exactly what I mean though.” With her nerves steeled with tension, bracing herself for the impact of his volcanic reaction, she fumbled for the rest of her explanation. “You never— you never said anything about us being, um, intimately involved? I’m sorry, it’s just really confusing—“ 

Just then, a sigh cut her off as Umeji tried to cool down. The blaze that had raged in his eyes simmered, his shoulders now slump with resignation. 

“I dunno.” He raked a hand through his blond hair. “I can see why you didn’t know.” A frown dipped the corners of his mouth down. “I’m shit with words. I’d rather show what I mean than say. I thought you knew that.” 

“I do!” In visible panic, Horuda surrendered her hands up. “I-I do know, it’s just I thought we were friends? I didn’t realize you were trying to be romantic—“ 

“For fuck’s sake,” Umeji grumbled, drooping his head low in defeat. “I took you out to eat and always paid. And I don’t make homemade chocolates for just anyone.” 

“That—that was still really sweet, I appreciated that.” 

“Forget it, none of it matters anymore.” His fingers were digging into his scalp, tugging at the bleached strands. He sank his head onto the table, the weight of his disappointment dragging him down. “You probably never liked me anyway, can’t blame you for that.” 

With the humiliation that crossed his face, he looked like a wounded puppy. It tugged at her heartstrings to witness him go through the motions of doubt like this. 

“I . . .” Horuda trailed off, a few beats of silence ensuing. She clenched her hands on her lap, her nails biting into the center of her palms. “I can’t promise anything, but I don’t mind talking to either. I guess I just— I just still don’t understand?”

Before he could ask what she meant by that, she continued to elaborate, slowly allowing for her own doubts to come to light. 

“There’s nothing good about me.” 

For the first time in her life, she’d said it out loud. She had always thought it, always looped the words in her mind over and over again whenever she was alone with herself, but never had she voiced them until now. 

After a quiet pause, Umeji narrowed his eyes. “Y’know I would’ve never liked you if I believed that.” 

“It’s flattering? It really is, your feelings are, I just can’t comprehend why me . . .”

A sharp exhale was drawn from Horuda after that, releasing a breath in her lungs that she didn’t realize she‘d been suspending until now. 

“I can’t exactly tell you why.” Umeji’s brow creased with thought. “I dunno know why I started to like you, can’t really explain it in a way that’ll make you feel better. But if you’re really feeling that way, then I’ll help you not feel that way anymore. ‘Cause even if I dunno how to put it in words, maybe I can show that too. If you just give me a chance.” 

For a while, Horuda had no words for that. What was there to say? But then again, she had nothing else to lose by agreeing to this, even if there were still some harsh doubts over this whole ordeal. 

She didn’t even know if she liked Umeji the same way that he liked her. 

. . . No, that was a lie and even she knew it. 

Now that Umeji had confessed his feelings for her, in his own peculiar way, she might as well be honest with herself. 

So maybe she did.

Of course she did. 

It wasn’t like he was ugly. In her eyes, he was fairly attractive. The long scar that ran down his eye and the blond hair provided him with this rugged complexion that she didn’t mind, but that wasn’t the only thing she was drawn to. She also liked how much of a good listener he could be, the sound of his laughter, the smiles he’d—

Okay, so she liked him more than she was willing to admit. Liked him enough to harbor a crush, but that wasn’t enough. 

Because she didn’t know if any of that was worth the heartbreak of an inevitable break up. Almost all high school couples never last long enough before graduation. To add on top of that, he was still two years older than her. The world was his to explore after he was free. He’d eventually come across new opportunities, new places, new people. 

_Better people_. 

It didn’t matter if she returned the sentiments or not. Sooner or later, Umeji would no longer be by her side anyway. It was only natural. 

In a strange way, as her thoughts plunged her back into the reality of her situation, she was still tempted. If he was going to disappear anyway, then she might as well enjoy this while she had the chance to. 

“Okay,” she confirmed, with as much courage as she could muster. “I’ll do it. I think— I think I’ll say yes. I’ll give you a chance and continue to date you.” 

“And you’re not forcing yourself?” With his head tilted up, Umeji crossed his arms. His gaze lingered on her, bearing the same sort of intensity it often did before. This time, however, the realization of what that look truly meant dawned on her. He’d been liking her since the very beginning, she knew that now. The passion that burned in his eyes reinforced that, bearing such a strong willpower that she felt engulfed by it. “You sure you wanna do this of your own free will?” 

She nodded. While trying to lock eye contact with him, since it was the least she could do now that the status of their relationship had been confirmed, a vivid blush rose to the surface of her cheeks, scaling hot up her neck. Her ears felt scorched and she was tripping over her own tongue now, sputtering out random syllables and vowels like a broken record. 

Horuda was going to say something, but she already forgot what. 

“Y’look like you got a fever.” Umeji tossed her an amused look, though he was also throwing some mercy in her way, before she could make even more of a fool out of herself. “Let’s just talk ‘bout this another time and get dinner ready, yeah? Bet you’re hungry for some real food.”

She had to admit, that was a smooth transition he pulled off there. It gave her some time to ponder on, well, a lot things for later. But still, a smile spread across on her face as she tried to enjoy what she gained now. 

Even if it was bleak and daunting, even if there was a plethora of obstacles planned for her, the future would have to wait. Because for now, even if everything was fleeting, Horuda wanted to be with Umeji. 

The taste of the beef stew they made together lingered on her tongue that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And once more, things are at peace.
> 
> For now.


End file.
